With all the wonderful new books being published, it can be easy to forget just how good all the old favourites were. Slightly older children will do well to check out Bookbag's Top Ten Classics of Children's Literature, but the youngest children won't go far wrong with Brian Wildsmith's Nursery Rhymes. It's a perfect compendium of rhymes, that every young child should own.

All the famous ones are there - Baa Baa Black Sheep, Humpty Dumpty et al. There are also plenty that are hazy in the memory, like Little Tommy Tucker. What makes it a particularly wonderful book to own are all the nursery rhymes that I'd never even heard of, like Four and Twenty Sailors Went To Kill a Snail, and the Three Wise Men of Gotham. Less famous they may be, but they're still of a supremely high quality. It's a wonderful opportunity to discover some new favourites.

Brian Wildsmith's illustrations fit perfectly alongside the text. There's a traditional feel to them, mixed with a modern freshness and brightness. Although it might seem difficult to make an endless list of people, cats and geese seem different, each illustration imbues the nursery rhyme with unique characters and atmosphere. It's as fun to pore over the pages as it is to read the rhymes.

Nursery rhymes are timeless classics. Every child hears them, every child learns them, remembers them and will recite them to their children. Favourite Nursery Rhymes is a perfect accompaniment to that tradition. Buy it, share it, love it, and pass it on down the generations. It's an absolute must own for any and every child. Highly highly recommended.